Music is food to the soul, and having the right equipment to produce the desired effect is essential. If you especially enjoy driving while listening to your favorite artists, one of the things you should consider is a subwoofer. However, with so many products available for sale, picking the right one for your car may prove challenging.
Many factors affect this decision, and you can visit here to get an in-depth analysis of what you should consider when buying a subwoofer. The material of the cone and surrounds, installation, and placement are among the core things that will play a crucial role in deciding on the best choice for your vehicle. Here is a highlight of how some of these factors will affect your choice.
1. Types of subwoofers
• Subwoofer driver
A subwoofer driver or a component sub refers to the speaker itself; therefore if you prefer a personalized system, you can pick individual components. They range between 8 and 15 inches, and operating them requires an external amplifier. Further, you will need to enclose it in a box and mount it on whichever enclosure you prefer since they can operate in a variety of boxes.
Consequently, you can select from different impedance and voice call setups and operate the component subs on either high or low power. Although they usually have one voice coil, you can choose one with dual voice coils because wiring becomes more flexible then.
• Enclosed sub
If you don’t have the time to assemble your system, then the enclosed sub which combines an off-the-shelf sub and box is the ideal item for you. Unfortunately, although it saves you the effort to design and build your system, it will reduce the options available to you. Further, powering this type of sub requires you to have an external amplifier.
The type of enclosure you choose will also have a big effect on the sound produced. If you are looking for deep and accurate sounds, sealed boxes will do, but if you are interested in volume, then you should go for ported and band pass enclosures.
• Powered Sub
The powered sub gets its name from the fact that it comes with an amplifier and has a subwoofer in an enclosure. Having an amplifier means that it does not take up too much space in your car, and it saves you time because you only need to install a single piece of equipment. The main downside of the powered sub is that it produces a limited amount of bass.
• Vehicle-specific sub
Anyone in particular about what goes in their car will look for anything that matches the car’s interior. If you are that person, the vehicle-specific sub should be your first choice since it blends with the interior of the vehicle. When space is of the essence, the vehicle-specific sub affords you the right to pick from powered or unpowered subs. Although they produce limited bass, the amount is usually enough to cater to the needs of most people. Besides blending with the interior of your vehicle, these vehicle-specific subs are created to fit in locations that other subwoofers would not fit in ordinarily.
2. Power
If you are searching for a sub with lots of bass for that booming effect, then you need one with a lot of power. You should, however, differentiate between RMS power ratings and peak power ratings. RMS power ratings relate to the overall power at a reasonable volume, while peak power ratings determine how loud yours can go.
You should, therefore, pay attention to the RMS ratings and look for a subwoofer with as many watts as you can afford. Additionally, check that its power matches with the output of the amplifier; otherwise, no matter how high the RMS power ratings of your subwoofer is, it will never produce the results you want.
3. Size
A big subwoofer will produce a big sound, but then if your car does not have enough space to accommodate one, you should go for a smaller one. As long as it is adequately powered and placed in the right enclosure, it will also produce great sound.
4. Sensitivity
Sensitivity plays a crucial role in the overall output. The higher the sensitivity, the lower the power you need to produce a certain amount of sound. Consequently, using subs with lower sensitivity ratings will require more power to get the same amount of sound.
5. Frequency
Usually, you should go for subs that have a lower frequency, and various factors determine how low your subwoofer can play, the type of enclosure being one of them.
Now that you know a little information needed to get the best one for your vehicle do not shop blindly. Do your research paying attention to all the above factors and the product you end up with will give the right music experience.